everything that makes a korean birthday

the morning 

good morning 

i’ve been counting down to this day since last month 

i smell the scent of mildly salty seaweed soup in the air 

pots wheezing, last minute gift wrapping, and shushing downstairs 

my family sounds like a group of busy mice 

working on something quietly and efficiently 

the oven dings and someone opens it 

letting the smell of freshly baked cake float throughout the house 

finally, its my birthday 

 

 

atmosphere 

the atmosphere is warm and familiar 

food filling me up to the brim 

thoughtful gifts im grateful for 

surrounded by people who i love that love me back 

warm, an invisible hug 

a sunny day with  

no clouds,  

just light everywhere 

all over the house, every corner 

 

 

 

 

moving here 

“moving here wasn’t an easy decision”,  

my mother says 

moving here “was a big change and chance for opportunity”, 

my father says 

just a small korean family of 4 

moving to an unknown foreign land  

without knowing the language, 

without knowing what happens next 

as time passed by, we learned and adapted, but 

adapting also meant stepping out of some traditions 

a matter of hello or hi 

in korea, “hello would be used for people who u owe respect to” 

but in english, there aren’t honorifics hiding in a greeting 

“english lets me say hi to a friend or to a stranger” 

without thinking twice 

while korean is less flexible with showing respect in words, 

my mom says we do that because  

they “know we respect” them 

and “it seems unnecessary” 

my dad says we do that because 

he personally doesn’t care 

as long as we still respect him 

so moving here was risky 

but it also opened new opportunities 

 

 

 

 

different days (original) 

the birthday 

the day that the baby is born, isnt the only day that is celebrated 

once, age used to change with the new year, 

not ur birth day 

their birthday is for honoring and respecting the mother’s efforts 

as confusing as it sounds 

a baby born on dec 31 ages a year that day 

then aging 2 the next day on jan 1 as it’s the new year 

then there’s a celebration 

on the 100th day of a baby’s life 

to signify the baby overcoming the most fragile stage of life 

there’s a big party 

uncles and aunts crammed into a small apartment 

on this day there’s a specific event 

a table with [insert objects], 

the baby picking one of them 

a fun activity that people think determines what the baby achieves in life 

different days with different meanings 

one for showing respect to the birthing mother’s efforts 

one for the achievement of passing the most fragile days as a baby 

 

 

different days (w/ suggestions) 

the birthday 

the day that the baby is born, isnt the only day that is celebrated 

once, age used to change with the new year, 

not ur birth day 

that day is for honoring and respecting the mother’s efforts 

as confusing as it sounds 

a baby born on dec 31 ages a year that day 

then 2 the next day on jan 1 as it’s the new year 

then there’s a celebration 

on the 100th day of a baby’s life 

to signify the baby overcoming the most fragile stage of life 

there’s a big party 

uncles and aunts crammed into a small apartment 

on this day there’s a specific event 

a table with [insert objects], 

the baby picking one of them 

a fun activity that people think determines what the baby achieves in life 

different days with different meanings 

one for showing respect to the birthing mother’s efforts 

one for the achievement of passing the most fragile days as a baby 

 

 

 

 

gifts 

gifts change with age 

when ur little 

money, diapers, baby supplies 

not because a baby needs presents 

but because the parents do 

then u grow 

and the gifts grow with u 

a bike, a phone, new clothes 

things chosen because someone knows what u like 

and then u grow older 

and suddenly they become tea, vitamins, things meant to keep u healthy, 

alive 

i like the surprise and thoughtfulness of it 

gifts are when people say 

i remember u 

i thought about u 

i know u 

gifts are one of my favorite things on birthdays 

the thoughtfulness of someone to gift me something 

gifts arent just gifts 

their messages 

 

 

 

 

korean identity 

being korean to me means more than just some papers 

more than a passport 

more than a nationality im born into 

it’s about appreciating culture 

and adding a layer of knowledge and respect between the papers. 

being korean is 

the food:  

spicy rice cakes with a boiled egg on the side on rainy sundays 

warm seaweed soup with silky smooth seaweed 

and freshly made rice on birthdays 

recipes my mom teaches to me 

food makes a culture feel like home. 

the language: 

i speak korean with my family sometimes 

im not the best at it 

but i still try. 

traditions: 

we celebrate birthdays every year 

seaweed soup, small parties, gifts 

i may have an american citizenship, 

but i am still korean 

its in the food i eat, 

the language i speak, 

the birthday traditions i keep. 

and that to me is what makes me korean. 

 

 

 

 

seaweed soup 

my dad buys the good seaweed 

the buttery, shiny seaweed 

it almost melts in ur mouth like a piece of chocolate 

he comes out between his meetings to see it coming along 

we have it for dinner and maybe tomorrow’s lunch 

history of eating seaweed soup was because 

it has “good nutrients for healing post pregnancy and other health benefits” 

and eating it on birthdays is a tradition 

 

 

dinner 

my family usually does the actual celebration during dinner 

eating seaweed soup 

lighting up the candles on the cake 

singing the birthday song 

opening presents 

my mom taking endless pictures and videos 

all that jazz 

seaweed soup thats been made with love and care by my father has just the right flavor 

cake thats been baked and decorated from scratch by  

my mother and sister tastes better every year 

i get to enjoy the day and everything that goes on in it 

and all coming together during dinner to laugh, celebrate, and eat 

 

 

 

 

the night 

that night i’ll be staying up until idk what time it is 

thinking about the day 

revisiting what is now left in pictures and my memories 

reminiscing what had happened only a couple hours ago 

in the quiet of the night 

i think back to the laughter 

the warmth of the invisible hugs 

the opened gifts i will be using tomorrow 

how happy a birthday can be 

how one birthday can bring people together 

how an annual event can be different and somehow better each year 

and maybe the hype will die down as i get older 

maybe i’ll stop finding it fun 

maybe i’ll stop feeling the warmth 

but not tonight this year 

today was good, lively 

and i’m happy 

goodnight

 

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Sophia was a fellow in the 2026 Story Gathering Workshop, a program that gives young writers the opportunity to publish an article for our news outlet, Voices.